On the day that I show blue eye/brown eye to my sociology students I learn about a possible hate crime triple murder near Chapel Hill. The victims were all Muslim and the alleged killer alledgly posted this to the victims: “When it comes to insults, your religion started this, not me. If your religion kept its big mouth shut, so would I.”
It echoed my class conversation where we talked about the power of symbols and how a symbol has different meanings for different viewers. To some Muslim means 9/11 and the connection to terrorism. It has a different meaning to different groups. For some it is a symbol of peace and forgiveness.
I think that dance between what it means to them and what it means to you is an important dichotomy that replays itself in everything symbolic. For example, 50 Shades of Gray represents excitement and sexual freedom for some. To me 50 Shades of Gray represents (symbolizes) trendiness and the very real between cultural understanding and commercial consumption.
That’s all I have to say about that.